The second Emergent Cohort was last night. We had a great turn out, probably close to 30 people. In addition to those who were there last time, Will Samson joined us from PA, Bill Arnold from NJ and Brian Ross and Jarred Garber from Koinos Church in Reading, PA (they’re pictured down on the right). A good mix of those who are actually “out there” doing ministry and a good group from the seminary, including Zirschky, Jake Myers and a guy I keep liking more and more each time I hang out with him, Matt Milliner.
We discussed the two articles about Emergent, and the questions from the evening revolved around whether Emergent was a conversation, a movement, an organization, a future denomination?? The Christianity Today article did a good job, I think, of expressing and getting out the “perception” many have of Emergent – that it’s simply an aesthetics movement. It’s simply doing the candles and the coffee (this was one of my very first blog posts ever, go there to read my idea of 1)aesthetically postmodern churches, 2)methodologically postmodern churches and 3)theologically postmodern churches). And that is what some churches want. They go to the Emergent Convention, and sit in one of Dan Kimball’s great Critical Concerns Course, with the sole hope of getting the “how-to-do-an-Emergent-worship-service” handout and then they’re off on becoming an “emerging church.”
From what I understand – that is not the hearts of those who are on the Emergent Coordinating Team (or Fellowship?), of which Tony Jones is a part of. Yet, it seems to be that this is the emphasis that is played up to the general public. Maybe it’s because of all the conservative evangelicals who are coming to the conventions and really do just want to get the ideas and run. Maybe it’s because of the tight relationships (that are beginning to be called into question) between Emergent and Zondervan, or even Youth Specialties. Brian Ross expressed his desire to be inclusive. And I believe, if Emergent is going to be inclusive, we have to be okay, I think, with those who want to be “Emergent” and are just interested in the aesthetics of their worship space. Maybe to them, that’s what it means to be Emergent. And I must confess, I think that I got more into the Emergent scene through the alt.worship aspect of it – and I don’t think that’s bad. However, I think that the deeper I got into it, the more conversations I had with people at the conventions, etc., I came to realize that was definitely not what it was all about – that it was more than that, that it was not just about aesthetics of our worship – but it was about our methodologies – but more so (and this is where the focus should be I think) – it’s about our theology. So, can Emergent be open enough to allow for different varieties of “emergence” to exist within?
Zirschky brought up the question of whether or not Emergent really has a future, if it is going to exist with fuzzy boundaries, or is it simply going to flounder. I guess I want fuzzy boundaries. I think if Emergent does sit down and come up with some solid boundaries, that is going against the very idea to be open to all new things, etc. If Emergent begins to build boundaries, to draw up lines…I think that’s when we’ve gone against what Emergent began as.
That’s enough for now…thoughts?
Btw, Jake has some great thoughts from last night’s cohort over at Theofragen’s post “I have a vision.” I totally agree with one of his comments here:
“I have a vision in which an Emergent Baptist can bump into an Emergent Roman Catholic at some coffee shop and experience a sense of solidarity and mutual appreciation for each other’s differences.”
In fact, I almost wrote the very same thing in my post above. Why does Emergent have to split the denominations? Just like some would say you could have an evangelical Baptist, Catholic or Episcopal, why does aligning oneself with the set of ideals and goals and dreams of Emergent have to take you outside of your denomination? Sure, sometimes they may rub against each other, and rub the wrong way…but that is where the dirty theological work is tested, played out and where the good shit happens.